The Perfect Tragedy
by rachelcolleen1000
Summary: AU/OOC - Katniss Everdeen, the daughter of the baker, has a tremendous crush on Peeta Mellark, a boy from the Seam, and Peeta is head over heels in love with Katniss. The very day he asks Katniss on a date, they're reaped in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. What will become of the legitimate star-crossed lovers of District 12, and will they ever get their first date?
1. Chapter 1

**Please leave me a review and tell me what you think!**

I wake just as the sun is on the horizon. I wish I could let myself sleep in, but I know my duties. Prim and my mother need food, regardless of what day it is. I quietly get out of bed – I sleep on a cot by the window in the attic and my mother and Prim sleep in my parents' old bed in the living room. I'm lucky to have my own space – most boys from my side of District 12 have to share a room – maybe a bed – with their parents, brothers, or sisters.

But, I live better than most of my side of District 12.

I pull on my father's old hunting boots and jacket and I head towards the Meadow. I slip under the fence, which is supposed to be on and highly dangerous twenty-four hours a day. However, I come from District 12. As long as we don't try and rebel, the Capitol leaves us alone for the most part. Except, of course, for days like today.

I walk about a mile into the woods, shooting squirrels as I go. I want Prim, my mother, and I to have a nice meal after today's emotional event. That is, if all three of us are returning home this evening. I brush the thought out of my mind – I can't afford to think like that.

"Hey, man," a voice from behind me says.

"Hey, Gale," I reply. Gale Hawthorne is two years my senior and my best friend and hunting partner. We met when I was attempting to steal a fresh squirrel from one of his snares. Over time, we began to trust each other. And, one day, we began splitting the spoils and working together, making sure both our families were fed. We spend a lot of time in the woods together, and he and I are basically brothers.

"Stopped by the bakery this morning," he says, tossing me a fresh loaf of bread. "Baker overpaid me again. I tried to turn him down, but –"

"But he wouldn't let you, like always," I laugh. "The baker's a great guy."

"You're just saying that because of Katniss," Gale grins. My cheeks flush immediately and I split the loaf in half roughly and toss it back to him.

"I am not," I grumble.

Gale laughs. "It's okay to like a girl, Peeta."

"Not Katniss," I sigh.

He groans. "Can we not have this pity party again?"

"What's a girl like Katniss going to do with a guy like me?" I say. "I've got nothing to offer. It's not like I'm just another merchant boy who actually has something to do after we're done with school."

"You're a better guy than ninety percent of those merchant idiots," Gale scoffs. "I don't know why status means so much to you."

"It doesn't matter to me," I say. "But I bet it matters to her."

Gale rolls his eyes. "If you never try, you'll never know."

AEAEAEAEAE

Gale heads back home after we hunt but I go into town to do a little trading. I have an extra squirrel and I want to get Prim something special for her first Reaping. I stop in the bakery and I almost turn around and leave when I see who's behind the counter. Katniss Everdeen, in all her glory. Her beautiful, dark hair in a single braid down her back. Her piercing gray eyes (which met mine the second I walked in), her slim, curvy figure . . . I give my head an imperceptive shake and walk to the counter. "Hey, Peeta," she says softly.

"Hi, Katniss," I reply. "How are you?"

She narrows her eyes at me. Oh, right – Katniss Everdeen doesn't do small talk. In fact, I'm not quite sure she does talking in general. "I'm fine," she replies. "You?"

I shrug. "Okay, I guess."

"What would you like?" Katniss asks.

"Is your dad around? I wanted to trade a squirrel for a cookie for Prim," I say.

Katniss immediately softens. She's always liked Prim. "Dad's upstairs," she says. "But, you don't have to trade for a cookie."

This time, I narrow my eyes at her. "What?" she snaps.

"You don't have to do me any favors, Katniss," I say.

She rolls her eyes. "Why would I do you any favors? I know you're extremely self-sufficient and all that, but it's your sister's first Reaping and she deserves something nice."

I stare at her for a long time. I know what this is about – in the ninth grade, just over a year ago, I'd written a pass to use the restroom and I'd found Erik Leder, who was a senior at the time, shoving Katniss against the wall, trying to kiss her. Needless to say, I yanked the asshole away from her and beat the living daylights out of him. I was suspended for a week, but it was worth it.

"You don't have to thank me," I say. "For the thing with Erik last year."

Her eyes flash. "I could've taken care of it myself."

I smile. "I know you could've. But I'm a gentleman, and gentlemen don't stand around watching a pretty girl get harassed." _Oh, shit_, I think. _I just called her pretty. To her face. Shit_.

She flushes red. "What kind of cookie do you want?"

I shake my head, just as embarrassed as she was. "Never mind, Katniss. Good luck today."

I turn to walk out. "Peeta!" she calls. I turn back around. She looks up the stairs, pulls a cookie from the display case, and runs around the case to give it to me. "From me to Prim."

I look at her for a long moment and then I remember what my father used to tell me. _You just need twenty seconds of courage, Peeta. Just twenty seconds_. And, for all I know, a month from now, I'll be dead.

"Only if you'll go on a date with me," I say quickly.

She looks taken-aback. "What?"

"I'll give this cookie to Prim if you'll . . . go on a date with me," I say.

"A date? With you?" Katniss asks.

I flush and turn my eyes to the ground. Twenty seconds are up. "I guess I figured you'd think that. I know I'm from the Seam and you're a Merchant and –"

"I never said no," she says softly.

I stop in my tracks. "Then are you saying yes?"

She shrugs. "I think so."

I smile wider than I think I ever have. "How about tomorrow afternoon? I can't afford much, but I can take you out to ice-cream or something."

She smiles. "Okay."

I take a risk and touch her arm briefly before I take the cookie from her and walk out. "Bye, Katniss. See you tomorrow!"

She says the same in reply. I walk all the way back to the Seam with a giddy grin on my face.

AEAEAEAEAE

"The female representing District 12 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games is . . ." Effie Trinket cries. I'm so busy praying for Prim that I'm completely blindsided by who's name is called. "Katniss Everdeen!"

It's like the breath has knocked from my chest. I see her up in the stage and my heart shatters into a million pieces. I'm just getting my breath back when Effie states, "The male representing District 12 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games is . . . Peeta Mellark!"

I'm blindsided for the second time that afternoon. I'd never worried about myself being reaped – I was worried about Prim, Gale . . . Katniss. I swallow back my tears – for Katniss and myself – and I walk up on stage. Effie orders Katniss and I to shake hands. We lock eyes and she allows herself to panic for one second, but quickly regains her composure. I give her hand a comforting shake, but when Effie tells us to enter the Justice Building, I don't release her hand. Instead, I hold it until Peacekeepers pull us apart so we can say our goodbyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Prim, my mother, and Gale come to say goodbye to me. Prim is extremely teary and makes me promise to try and win. I tell her I will, and I also tell her to go across the hall and thank Katniss for the cookie. It's the least I could do. I sternly tell my mother that she can't tune out like she did when my father died, and she promises she won't. Gale tells me he knows I'll win, but I know I won't. How could I win, knowing that that would mean Katniss was dead?

After that, the only person who comes to say goodbye is Katniss's father, the baker. He sits in silence for the most part, but just as he turns to leave, he tells me he'll keep an eye on Prim, make sure she's eating. I could almost hug him, but I just shake his hand and express my gratitude.

All too soon, Peacekeepers come to collect me. I leave my room in the Justice Building and I follow behind Katniss and her pair of Peacekeepers. We're loaded into a car with Effie Trinket and she goes on and on about the train ride and the Capitol and food. I tune her out and focus on taking in District 12 for the last time. When we arrive at the train station, Katniss, Effie, and I are ushered onto the train. The photographers try to stop us and ask us questions, mainly about how we held hands while walking into the Justice Building, but Peacekeepers push us forward. The very second the door slips closed behind us, the train takes off at nearly two-hundred miles per hour. We barely feel a thing.

Effie leaves Katniss and I alone in the lounge car – she goes looking for Haymitch Abernathy, our mentor. He's a notorious drunk; I don't expect any help from him. Mentors are supposed to mentor, obviously, but line up sponsors for tributes in the arena, too. Without sponsors, you're as good as dead. But, I'm as good as dead, anyway. Katniss and I sit in silence for a long moment. "Katniss," I say softly.

She turns to look at me. Her serious facade vanishes almost immediately. Her beautiful gray eyes are full of fear and she looks like she's fighting back tears. "Peeta, I . . ."

I nod. "I know," I say.

She looks at me sadly. I want to assuage her fear in any way I can, so I try and make a joke. "Are we still on for tomorrow afternoon?"

She flashes a tiny smile. "How are we going to go on a date in a train?"

I laugh. "I don't know. We can make it work. We may as well get in all the time we can – I don't think you and I are going to last." My feeble attempt at another joke doesn't get the same reaction as the first.

"Don't say that," she snaps.

"I'm sorry," I reply quickly. "I just . . . it's easier to joke about it than to actually accept it."

"Maybe we can run away," she says quickly. "When the train stops for fuel, we can run off. We can live in the woods – I know you can hunt and –"

"Katniss, listen to yourself," I say. "This is the Capitol. We have no way out. I wish there was another way, I really do."

She looks like she's near tears again. "This is so unfair!" she cries in anguish.

I sigh. "It sucks. I know."

"Why couldn't you have asked me out a year ago?" she says. "Do you even know how long I've wanted you to –" She pauses and flushes bright red.

"What?" I ask in disbelief.

"I've liked you forever," she whispers.

Despite everything, I break into a huge grin. "I've liked _you _forever. Longer than forever."

She turns to look at me, but she doesn't look happy. "Why didn't either of us say something sooner? In three weeks, we'll both be dead."

_Twenty seconds of courage_, I think to myself. "Three weeks is a long time, Katniss," I murmur. I lean over in my chair and press my lips to hers extremely softly. Her lips are soft and taste like cinnamon. I don't want to push my luck, so I pull away, but remain close to her.

"It's not that long," she says mischievously. She brings her lips back to mine but the kiss is much deeper. I put my hands on her waist and pull her into my lap. She was right – three weeks isn't that long. We should take advantage of every second . . . and I wouldn't mind spending every second of the rest of my life doing exactly this. Her hands entangle themselves in my hair and I run my tongue along her bottom lip and she opens her mouth readily. Just as our tongues collide, the car door slides open and Effie and Haymitch walk back in. Katniss jumps off my lap and our lips part with a sloppy 'smack', but not before Effie and Haymitch see us. Effie makes a disapproving grunt but Haymitch just squints his eyes and begins to laugh.

"Uncouth, dirty, disgusting," Effie mutters, but Haymitch shushes her.

"Are you two an item?" he asks.

Katniss, who was now seated in her chair, as far from me as possible, looks at me. I shrug. Making out in the lounge car on the way to the Hunger Games doesn't necessarily make us a couple. But, I nod at Haymitch anyway.

He grins broadly. "For how long?"

"Um," I say, embarrassed. "Today."

Haymitch laughs again. "I can work with this. Effie, we can work with this."

"Nasty, ill-mannered, vulgar," she's still muttering.

Haymitch rolls his eyes. "Dinner isn't for a few hours," he says. "Your boarding cars are six cars down, right next to each other. Which is probably extremely convenient, if you know what I mean."

Katniss makes a sound of contempt and I just roll my eyes. Katniss gets up first – I follow her in silence down to our boarding cars. One is labeled 'Female'. The other is labeled 'Male'. I look to Katniss, but she's staring at the floor.

"I think I'm going to clean up," she mutters. She turns to walk into her boarding car, but I grab her wrist.

"Katniss," I say softly, pulling her back against me and planting my hands on her waist. "Why the sudden change in attitude?"

"That was embarrassing," she murmurs.

I grin. "It was kind of funny, too. Just a little bit, maybe."

She smiles softly. "Kind of."

I lean forward hesitantly and place my lips on hers. "Do you still want to clean up?" I ask, our lips partially connected.

She shakes her head. "We only have three weeks to be with each other," she whispers.

I return her soft smile. "I want to spend as much of the rest of my life as I possibly can with you," I whisper back.

She grins shyly and I pull her into my bedroom.

I try to brush The Hunger Games out of my mind, but I know that I have a serious decision to make. Do I do all I can to protect the girl I love, or do I try and keep the promise I made to my sister?

I shake the thought when Katniss brings her lips to mine. I have two weeks to figure out my strategy. Right now, I just want to focus on the lips of the girl I love.


End file.
